Posted on 11/22/2013 5:45:02 PM PST by Perdogg
It's a question all cat owners must ask themselves; "Should I let my cats outside?" The opinions and feelings of cat lovers are varied. Lets take a closer look.
I have been on both sides of this topic. I grew up in a small city, and our cats always went outside.
They were careful about crossing the street, and mostly stayed in the yard. They all lived full lives as well.
Now, as the owner of two great Maine Coon cats, we keep them indoors. Our breeder specified it, and I agreed. You may wonder why I see things in a different light.
Most veterinarians and experts agree that cats do not need to go outside. In fact, the benefits of keeping them in far outweigh the risks of letting them out.
If your cat or kitten came from a breeder, you probably were required to agree to a few terms. Spaying or neutering of your cat, no declawing, and keeping your new pet as an indoor cat.
Did you wonder why that is? Nowadays, as pet owners are becoming more conscious and aware, more and more people are doing their best to make responsible choices for their pets.
The old belief is that we need to let our cats outside in order for them to be healthy, happy and fulfilled. After all, they really want to go out! But just like children, animals don't necessarily know what's best for themselves.
Life Span:
The life expectancy for outdoor cats is roughly 4-5 years. For indoor cats, 12-15 years is average with many healthy cats living to be about 20 years old!
Simply by keeping your cat inside the house, you protect him from a variety of dangers. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that these things probably won't happen.
But this is exactly why the life span of an outdoor cat is so short. Here are some risks involved in letting cats outside: Being hit by a car Death or injury by dog attacks Being attacked by wild animals Parasites: fleas, ticks, worms etc. (Lyme disease in cats is a real danger. Tapeworms come from fleas. And heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes.) Getting lost or picked up by Animal Control Being stolen and used for sadistic purposes Being stolen and used as laboratory animals Being poisoned either accidentally or intentionally Roaming into neighbors yards, causing irritation Death or injury caused by cat fights Picking up infectious diseases from other cats, such as: Feline Distemper, which is highly contagious and deadly Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) There are multiple varieties FELV: Feline Leukemia, the most common killer of pet cats. An infected cat will spread it before any symptoms are shown FIV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is always fatal. Cats who contract it are usually euthanized
Although we all know there are lots of risks for letting cats outside, seeing it listed out like this puts it in a pretty strong light.
If you find that your cat is obsessed with escaping (it's a bit like living in a house with children in the center of an amusement park) there is one popular solution. Outdoor cat enclosures are gaining popularity among indoor cat owners. They provide cats with the outdoor time they crave, in a safe way.
Of course, the choice is completely up to each owner. But new cat owners of any breed, may be wondering, "Should cats go outdoors?" or "Do I need to let my cats outside for their overall health or happiness?" The short answer is no. Experts agree that indoor cats can live happy, fulfilling lives, right in the house.
ping
I must have missed a trend. I have never had a cat that I didn’t let outside and the thought of keeping a cat inside strikes me as strange.
Neither my parents nor I have ever let a cat inside.
They would have nothing but black cats as they thought it made it easier for them to sneak up on rats.
As long as they are spay/neutered and have all their shots, especially the one for feline leukemia ... let them run free.
He does a good job if we let him go where he needs to. That includes outside.
/johnny
Experts agree that indoor cats can live happy, fulfilling lives, right in the house.
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Absolutely. The greatest gift we can give our cats and the basic responsibility of every owner is the assurance that they will not die a painful death.
Maine coons? Coolest cats ever and as big as many dogs with a dog personality.
I’ve had cats for 40 years and all have been indoor/outdoor cats. (food, water and litter in the house) Cats love to hunt, or to pretend to hunt. Traffic or other dogs haven’t been a real problemv for us, coyotes, yes. But coyotes won’t go near a big cat like a MC.
My last cat was put down at age 15 due to liver failure and he went outside every day. Always slept in the house at night of course.
One caveat, never let a declawed cat outside.
“Letting Cats Outside, Is It Okay?”
Depends on if you like the cat, or not.
(just joking)
I am going to get adopt a Maine Coon when I get my place. Maybe 2.
I too have a maine coon. I would never let her outside. Too much invested. She doesn’t even have the desire to go out. Outside cats around here disappear or get run over...or used for target practice. We live out in the country.
Absolutely NO, NO, NO, I know kitties LOVE to go outside, if you LOVE your kitty KEEP him, or her in the house!!!! Kitties get eaten by prey, they
can be run over by cars, and can also get into very bad kitty fights, if you
LOVE your kitty KEEP him or her in the house make sure you have a kitty
condo, lots of toys (you play with kitty routinely) and possibly a kitty friend
if possible! I am a huge kitty person, their instinct is to be outside they are
hunters, however they adapt VERY easily to being in the home! ALWAYS
keep them safe!
To me... it’s a matter of conditioning, and I mean that in 2 different ways: If the cat is used to eating indoors and you develop a ritual where you can shake a box of dry food or bang a can against your palm such that the cat hears that sound and comes a runnin’......
and if the cat is truly conditioned to be an indoor cat so he/she doesn’t develop the habit of going to that side of the door....
and if you have a reasonably defined area they can explore...
they tend not to wander too far. I had a completely wide open wilderness area behind my ex-home and would let him out maybe once every 2-3 weeks. Not very often...because he could come back with bugs. There was rarely a time when I couldn’t spot him and call to him. Not that he’d necessarily return, but I got the feeling like he at least knew where his next meal was coming from. If I tapped the can or shook the box, 98% of the time he’d zoom back home.
I think the key is to set things up so that they are unfamiliar with the outdoors and are much more secure indoors.
You let them out because you think they want to explore. They miss NOTHING that will damage their cat-psyche by wandering outside. They *could*, OTOH, get whacked by a passing car and then you’d hate yourself.
It's in their nature to want to go outside - they are nocturnal creatures. Ever see them scatter around the house when it gets dark? The cat crazies?
The bit about an enclosure make me laugh. Our Main Coon would tear my house apart if I tried to keep him in.
That's interesting. My sister-in-law has had three and none of them ever showed interest in going outside either.
All of my not Main Coon cats loved being outside.
My cats have all been indoor, with the exception of Barney. Barney the orange kitty is an outdoor kitty, he just showed up here one day and never left. He stays on my back porch in a chair 16 plus hours a day,eats and sleeps. He did kill a young possum not long ago, no birds. He is a funny cat.
I have a Blue Lynx Ragdoll. I have a fenced yard and she is quite happy with that. I have also had other “alley cats” who went outside. One male lived to 22 years others as little as 12 years.
As far as declawing, I’m Ok with it as long as it is done early enough.
If you are doing business with a breeder who is setting terms, such as what you have specified you need to find another breeder. Most breeders won’t release your kitten to you until they can have it spayed/neutered ( usually 5 to 6 months. I won’t do business with these breeders under those terms. I want the animal in my possession at 7 to 8 weeks. I can then train it to my desires and will have it “fixed” at a time of my choosing. These nitwit breeders think I am going to set up shop as a breeder and I have no interest in such a thing.
The breeder of my Ragdoll had no such terms, and my ragdoll has been the best pet I have ever had. Trained her to fetch, come when called, and to sit.
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